Apple investigating 'Grab & Go' simplified cross-platform sync

Apple could make the transferring of files between devices like Macs, iPhones and the Apple TV simpler with a new cross-platform, cloud-integrated sync service.

In a system described in a new patent application revealed this week, Apple has worked on a software syncing system that would give users great flexibility in deciding which files to share between devices, all while aiming to simplify the process of syncing. The described method would not only take personal files, but content within specific applications, allowing users to continue their current activities no matter where they are and what device they are using.

In the application, Apple said that current sync methods are needlessly complex.

"Though a user may have access to two similarly capable electronic devices, sharing data between the two devices may involve a number of steps, each of which may vary in difficulty," the application reads. "The process of transferring data between the devices may include many user decisions, such as which data to save, where the data is saved, which formats each device may be capable of processing, how to interconnect the devices for a most effective data transfer, etc. Such complexity may increase the difficulty or time spent transferring data between two electronic devices.

The patent application includes references to a number of devices that could be used in sync, including a Mac, iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Remote, and a video game controller that resembles that of a Playstation. The described system could share Safari bookmarks, iTunes content, Time Machine backups, Keynote presentations, or even video game file saves.

Syncing of files could take place between a number of hardware types as well, in a wireless method between an iPhone and an iMac, or between two iPhones. The massive, detailed, 84-page application presents a number of potential sync combinations between two and three devices.

The system could also integrate the Web in its storage, keeping data on the "cloud" and allowing it to be pushed to numerous devices.

The described system includes software that would allow users to "grab" files from each system easily. One such example is a potential iPhone application tentatively named "Grab & Go."

Device preferences configurable by the user would allow for application content and files to be sorted by type. Users could select whether they want to sync software for family, business, entertainment, gaming media, education, accounting and more.

Such a system could allow users to revisit Web sites they recently accessed on another device. For example, the Safari Web browser's history, bookmarks and recent searches could be shared between a Mac and an iPhone.

The filing with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office suggests a scenario where a user is sitting at their desk working on a document, when they are called into an unexpected meeting. While the user may have a number of personal applications running, they would only want to bring their work-related content with them. The preferences would allow the user to "grab" only files and data related to work from the computer.

Another example has a person listening to music on their computer at home. That person might need to go into work, but would want to continue to listening to music on a train on the way to the office. The preferences would allow the user to easily choose not to "grab" files from personal finance, or whatever keywords the user may have chosen.

The "simplified data transfer" method is also said to dynamically adapt to the fastest available connection, and provide security methods. The software would decide whether to connect using the Internet, or to use encryption schemes, or to require a specific proximity to the hardware when syncing. It would also keep a list of "trusted" devices with which to share.

Apple has already stepped into the growing cloud-based sync market with its MobileMe service. However, this described system, applied for on Sept. 30, 2008, would clearly expand that capability much wider.

The fact that it includes new iPhone applications and that it relies heavily on cloud computing when Apple is building that big server farm, makes this seem much more concrete than some of the other patents that go by.

I would expect this to be one of the features of the next gen iPhone maybe.

I wish they'd start by making it possible to sync my iPod Touch wirelessly. It would be nice if it could just see my Mac on my home network and sync any new music/podcasts etc.

Yeah, it's high time for this. Maybe this coming june with the iphone os 4.0. I suspect beside the technical issues (and apple is absolutely right in rolling out the iphone platform in a steady piecemeal way instead of the vapourware promises of m$) there is the issue that apple want you to charge your phone or ipod as often as you can (so battery issues are not augmented and a whole snowstorm of we don't have enough battery users begins), and by having you stick it to the computer to sync it they "force you" so to speak to have a modicum of charging time for the pod/phone.

These are all very exciting news btw. With the tablet the over the air/cloud syncing will be all the more important as it will be a device with built in wifi/3g/bluetooth relying much much more on cloud than local storage. And in the tablet the issue will be not to drag around your files/books/music library with you on the slim limited gb device but to be able to quickly and with minimal data corruption access them over the air anywhere. So say you are commuting you might remember a paper you have on your mac/cloud you want to read, or a book you downloaded: pop you access the cloud and there you have it.

That is also one of my main gripes from mobileme how I can't natively have it sync with certain folders on each mac. That is not have me either manually or with a 3rd party app sync the local folder with the idisk, but have the idisk like itunes nowadays monitor these folders and sync them automatically. This is also overdue and much needed.

But I prefer they get all these absolutely right than rushing them to the market with bugs. In any case we as apple users are well ahead in such facilities than pretty much every other platform that a steady pace and not rushing things wont cost that much.

Why would I want to sync my AppleTV via the cloud? The AppleTV resides on the same gigabit subnet as iTunes here on my home network. What would be the benefit of uploading hundreds of gigabytes of data up into the cloud, only to have to pull the data back down to the AppleTV? What about the usage cap my ISP places upon my internet connection?

Yeah, it's high time for this. Maybe this coming june with the iphone os 4.0. I suspect beside the technical issues (and apple is absolutely right in rolling out the iphone platform in a steady piecemeal way instead of the vapourware promises of m$) there is the issue that apple want you to charge your phone or ipod as often as you can (so battery issues are not augmented and a whole snowstorm of we don't have enough battery users begins), and by having you stick it to the computer to sync it they "force you" so to speak to have a modicum of charging time for the pod/phone.

These are all very exciting news btw. With the tablet the over the air/cloud syncing will be all the more important as it will be a device with built in wifi/3g/bluetooth relying much much more on cloud than local storage. And in the tablet the issue will be not to drag around your files/books/music library with you on the slim limited gb device but to be able to quickly and with minimal data corruption access them over the air anywhere. So say you are commuting you might remember a paper you have on your mac/cloud you want to read, or a book you downloaded: pop you access the cloud and there you have it.

That is also one of my main gripes from mobileme how I can't natively have it sync with certain folders on each mac. That is not have me either manually or with a 3rd party app sync the local folder with the idisk, but have the idisk like itunes nowadays monitor these folders and sync them automatically. This is also overdue and much needed.

But I prefer they get all these absolutely right than rushing them to the market with bugs. In any case we as apple users are well ahead in such facilities than pretty much every other platform that a steady pace and not rushing things wont cost that much.

Great suggestions! Especially the Folders idea. I now have iDisk on my iPhone but it is terribly slow on my iMac and sometimes not all the sub-folders 'make it' to the iDisk.